Gms Predict Expansion Draft Will Hurt

Sunday Special

Major-league Teams Are Scrambling To Make Out Their 15-man Protected List.

September 20, 1992|By Russ White of The Sentinel Staff

Baseball's expansion draft, still two months away, continues to create a heavy workload not only for the two new teams, the Florida Marlins and Colorado Rockies, but also for the 26 existing clubs.

General managers and personnel directors are keeping close tabs on every player in their organization, preparing to protect the 15 they need the most. Many GMs foresee a rash of trades just before the draft on Nov. 17, not to mention some creative roster juggling.

Teams are preparing their 15-man protected lists. The Marlins and Rockies are busy trying to make an educated guess as to what will be available. The first eight to 10 players are rather easy, the next seven could present some surprises.

A number of teams may leave quality, veteran everyday players unprotected so it can protect a half dozen or more top prospects. American League teams won't waste one of their 15 protected spots with their designated hitter, realizing the Rockies and Marlins probably won't bite.

From the way the Marlins and Rockies are scouting the Class AA and Class AAA leagues, they give strong hints they may ignore many guys on the current big-league rosters and go for players who are close to becoming big-leaguers.

Baseball's first expansion draft since 1977 - when the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners stocked their first teams - not only means new major-league employment for 50 players but also affects two or three times that many others. ''There are a lot of us who want to be included in the draft, who want to be with one of the new teams,'' said pitcher Curtis Leskanic, a Minnesota Twins farmhand who may be selected over more familiar players already in the majors.

First baseman-outfielder Rodney Brewer from Apopka figures to be a full-time major-leaguer next year either with one of the new teams or the St. Louis Cardinals. With the Cards for a September call-up, Brewer put some good minor-league numbers up this year (18 homers, 86 RBIs at Louisville). ''That has been my big drive, the right numbers,'' Brewer, 26, said. ''Then we'll see what happens.'''

Earlier this summer when he wasn't playing much for the Atlanta Braves, infielder Jeff Blauser approached Denver Post sports writer Irv Moss and told him, ''I'd love to play for the Rockies next year.'' At the time, Blauser hardly figured to be protected by the Braves, but he has had such a hot streak lately that he may be.

After a 137-day scouting trip to see each of the 26 major-league clubs and a batch of minor-league teams, Rockies General Manager Bob Gebhard reached this conclusion: ''The Braves are going to have the hardest time of anyone protecting their 15 best players.''

With enormous talent at the major-and minor-league level, the Braves realize they will lose at least one front-line big-leaguer and two prospects. The Braves, like most teams, have evaluated and scouted themselves more this summer than they have other teams.

Braves General Manager John Schuerholz has hairy decisions to make. As much as he is delighted with the recent performances of pitcher Pete Smith and Blauser in the Braves' West-Division pullaway, Schuerholz knows he may have to remove two other players from his list to protect Smith and Blauser.

''The way we were looking at it, the Braves would protect either Smith or David Nied,'' Gebhard said during a recent visit to Atlanta. ''And we hope this is still the case, that we'll have a shot at one of those guys.''

Blauser has performed so well lately that it may force the Braves to expose 1991 World Series sparkplug Mark Lemke, at least for one round.

The rules of the draft allow the expansion teams to draft one player from each of the 26 existing clubs per round. That means once the Braves lose a player in Round 1, they can immediately pull back three more players before Round 2.

The Marlins and Rockies will be able to take key veteran players from the Braves if they choose - guys such as Sid Bream, Rafael Belliard, Otis Nixon, Charlie Leibrandt, Blauser or Lemke, and possibly catcher Greg Olson. Keith Mitchell figures to be open, as does relief pitcher Kent Mercker.

More than likely the Braves will lose prospects in Rounds 2 and 3 - players such as catcher Eduardo Perez and outfielder Tony Tarasco from their Class AA Southern League farm team at Greenville, S.C.

Shortstop Chipper Jones, from Pierson, is not eligible for the draft, having less than three years in the system and never being called to the big-league team. Had the Braves given Jones a September look-see in Atlanta, they would have had to protect him or risk losing him.

The same goes for the Minnesota Twins and 1991 first-round draft choice Dave McCarty, who played at Orlando and Portland, Ore., this year. If McCarty went to the Twins even for a day, he would have had to be protected. As it is, he is draft-exempt.